


Into the Lion's Mouth

by reclusiveq



Series: Lions [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bottom Bucky, Boy Trouble, Fluff, Gen, Humour, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Punk Steve, References to Shakespeare, Sexual Tension, references to past abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-06
Packaged: 2018-02-11 22:10:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2085042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reclusiveq/pseuds/reclusiveq
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Bucky wants to do is finish out his senior year at a new school without anymore trouble. But he apparently attracts trouble, and this time it goes by the name of Steve Rogers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Was working on two other fics when this particular plot bunny popped into my head and needed to be written. Going to have the next chapter finished soon, and I'll get the start of the Supernatural AU posted soon as well. (This one will either be two or three chapters, depending on how the next chapter goes.)

“So who’s that guy?” Bucky pointed at a scrawny punk in ripped jeans and a sleeveless band shirt. Tattoos covered his arms and privately Bucky thought they were nice. Definitely done by a professional. From this distance, he couldn’t quite make out what they were of though. The guy had a book of some sort open and it took Bucky a second to realise he was drawing. Privately Bucky thought the guy looked devilishly handsome, even if he was a virtual twig.

The others at his table looked at each other nervously. “You’re new here, James, so let me give you just a quick tip. Don’t get messed up with that guy. He’s no good. Steve Rogers may look skinny, but if you so much as look at him wrong, he’ll beat you up. He doesn’t have friends and there’s a reason for it.”

Personally Bucky thought that must have been lonely. Still, he’d gotten into too much trouble at his old school. So much, in fact, that he’d been kicked out and sent here. No one here knew that, though, and he hoped to keep it that way. Bucky had a way of getting caught up in trouble, but he had to try and stay good. If he didn’t, his dad was going to send him to boot camp and that was the last thing Bucky wanted.

“You’re right,” he said to the group at the table, running a hand through his short hair. He’d used to keep it long, but cutting it was part of his punishment for expulsion. As Dad had told him, only punks and thugs and troublemakers had long hair. “Anyone else I should avoid?”

~~~  
The plan to avoid the menace that was Steve lasted only until fourth period, when Bucky somehow managed to locate his class early. He wasn’t sure if seats were assigned in this English class, so while he waited for the rest of the class, he slid into a seat in the corner and pulled out a battered old scifi book, starting to read.

“...My desk.”

Bucky blinked and looked up at the unfamiliar voice. He’d been so engrossed in the story (a story he’d read several times already but it was still amazing) that he hadn’t heard anyone come in. When he looked up, he found himself looking into the brilliantly blue eyes of Steve Rogers. _Gorgeous._ The thought came unbidden and Bucky mentally threatened his traitorous mind. It took him a moment to realise that Steve had said anything. “Er, sorry, what?”

“This desk. It’s mine.” The corner of Steve’s mouth twitched and Bucky found himself blushing a bit. 

“Oh! Sorry,” he said, hurriedly gathering his things. It wasn’t fear that made him move so quickly. It was the fact that grabbing his backpack gave Bucky an excuse to cover his lap. He couldn’t tell if Steve was amused or angry.

“You’re the new kid, right?” Steve asked, as Bucky vacated the desk.

“Yeah, it’s my first day. I just wasn’t sure which seats were open. I really wasn’t intending to take anyone’s seat.”

Steve gave him a curious look, then pointed to the seat in front of his. “No one sits there,” he said, a smile playing on his lips. Bucky could guess why, given the rumours he’d heard about Steve. Then Steve pointed at a seat towards the front of class. “That one’s open too.”

Bucky swallowed. Steve was testing him. Bucky should take the seat at the front of class and stay the hell away from this skinny punk, but this felt like too much of a challenge to him, and Bucky had never been able to back down from a challenge. He set his bag on the desk in front of Steve’s. “This seat works.” Bucky met Steve’s eyes and smiled at him before sitting down.

The rest of the class was arriving then. Bucky was well aware of the stares he received for daring to sit in front of Steve. He ignored them and focused on the reading material. He’d apparently come in during the Shakespeare segment and the teacher was giving them all parts to read aloud. 

While reading his lines, Bucky could feel Steve’s eyes on him. When he was done, and the teacher turned away, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He glanced back and frowned. A note? Really? He took it and glanced at the teacher to make sure he wasn’t looking, then opened it up.

It wasn’t a note. Actually it was a really good drawing of the teacher as Juliet in the balcony scene. Bucky couldn’t stop the laugh that came out. Immediately the teacher’s eyes shot back to him. Bucky picked up his book quickly, trying to play it off. “Something funny, Mr. Barnes?”

“No, sir.” Fucking Steve was going to get him in trouble on his first day. The teacher walked over and and picked up the drawing. Bucky watched his eyes flick to Steve. Bucky couldn’t see the other boy, but he suspected Steve had adopted an entirely innocent face.

The bell rang then and the teacher dismissed them but kept the drawing. Bucky hurried out.

He hoped that was the end of it. He managed to avoid Steve for the rest of the day and the following. Of course he still had to face him in English class, but he could just ignore him. 

It seemed the teacher had other plans for Bucky. “Since James is so enthralled by the part of Juliet, I’ve decided to allow him to read the part. Do we have any volunteers to read Romeo?”

Oh god. Bucky didn’t have to look to know Steve’s hand was raised. The silence of the class and the teacher’s expression spoke volumes. “Ah, Mr. Rogers. Decided to participate today. This should be interesting. Very well. Do begin.”

Bucky was rather surprised when Steve started, because it was clear that he not only understood what he was reading, but that he’d read it before. “If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” 

Bucky had to force himself to remain calm as Steve spoke the words almost sensuously. How the hell could someone like him be so damn… charming? Bucky shouldn’t be picturing Steve actually doing that to him.

“Mr Barnes. I believe that’s your cue,” the teacher prodded.

Right. Well, two could play this game. He took a breath and began. “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrim’s hands do touch, and palm to palm is a holy palmers kiss.” 

It continued on for the scene. Bucky was aware that every eye was on him and Steve, and they must have been making a good show for the class, both putting their all into the words. Finally the teacher called them to stop. “Well, James. Who’d have thought you’d make a good Juliet?”

The other students laughed and Bucky turned red. The teacher turned a stern look on the rest of the class. “I wouldn’t laugh. Those two just gave one of the better performances I’ve seen of Romeo and Juliet. Your homework tonight is to dissect that scene and tell me what _you_ thought it meant.”

Bucky hurried out as soon as the bell rang. He was going to murder Steve and possibly get kicked out of school. Again. Well, prison had to be better than boot camp, and either of those had to better than trying to hide a boner in class in front of the very guy Bucky was crushing on. “Hey, James. Maybe tomorrow the two of you can kiss,” one of his classmates said, passing him up with a group of others. They all laughed as they hurried off. Bucky was definitely going to kill Steve.

He hoped that would be the end of it. Steve had gotten him in trouble and the teacher had humiliated him in front of the whole class. Maybe he could get through the rest of the week without any more trouble. But it wasn’t meant to be. What had happened in English class had already spread across campus and if Bucky wasn’t getting teased mercilessly, he was getting congratulated on being the only person to keep up with Steve without sporting bruises. _Not that I would mind a few bruises from him in the right places_ , his traitorous mind whispered again. He’d only known Steve for two days. He wasn’t even sure if he liked Steve as a person.

The next day, the teacher had a long discussion about the scene they’d read. Bucky thought maybe his luck was turning around, but during the discussion, whenever the teacher would turn away, Steve would reach forward and brush his fingers along the back of Bucky’s neck. What the hell was Steve trying to do? A part of Bucky wanted to just break his fingers, the other part wanted to know what else those fingers could do.

Dammit, he needed to stop thinking about that. The last thing he needed was to get involved with another stereotypical ‘bad boy’. His last boyfriend had been bad enough. The only thing worse than that guy had been the homophobic nature of the rest of the school. And Bucky being the older of the two, of course it had all been _his_ fault. That wasn’t why he’d been kicked out, but it had been a nail in the proverbial coffin. Besides, Steve was probably just trying to provoke him. So Bucky kept his jacket pressed firmly in his lap and tried to ignore Steve as much as possible.

The next day, they were back to reading parts. The teacher decided that since Bucky had read Juliet’s part so well before, that he could continue. This part was from the balcony scene. Bucky felt minutely less embarrassed this time, as the teasing hadn’t been mean for the most part. Still, he was hyper aware of everyone watching him as he read. After class, the teacher kept both him and Steve back.

“You know, you two did really well with Shakespeare. I’m half tempted to recommend you both to the drama club, except I think you’d probably burn the school down if I made you go together.” He handed the drawing back to Steve. “I’d warn you against next time, Steven, but you never listen. James, you did well with your part. You, I will recommend, if you want to join it. They’re looking for an actor for Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Not many kids tried out this year.”

“Hopefully they aren’t looking for the part of Viola,” Bucky said straight-faced. He glanced at Steve who was shaking with laughter. 

The teacher chuckled. “No. Here, I’ll arrange for you to try out tomorrow. Now can you two try to keep your egos outside of my classroom?”

“Yes, sir,” Bucky said. He left and was starting towards his next class when Steve grabbed his arm, spinning him around. Bucky was once again caught by his brilliant blue eyes. Okay, up close, the rest of him looked pretty good too, a fact he’d been trying to ignore. But now there was no one else around.

“You know, you were pretty cool with all that. Most people would have said something,” Steve said, smiling. “Or done something.”

Bucky looked away for a moment, then back at Steve. He felt a small twist in his gut. God, he actually wanted Steve to kiss him, and he didn’t even know if Steve was gay. He should stop this now. “Look, you seem like a cool guy. But I’m trying to stay _out_ of trouble.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Steve asked cheekily.

“The fun,” Bucky said with a frown, “Is in not getting kicked out.” _Again._ Bucky sighed, then smiled despite himself. He wasn’t really angry at Steve. “It was pretty funny though. ‘ _Romeo, oh Romeo._ ” He shook his head, laughing. “You really are a punk.”

Steve grinned too. “Well, you’re the one who sat in the chair in front of me. And you’re the one about to be late to your next class, Mister James ‘I don’t want to get in trouble’ Barnes.”

“Fuck,” Bucky said, startled as the bell rang. “What about you?”

“Free period.”

“Fuck,” he said again, glancing at his watch. He considered skipping class, but that wouldn’t look good. He wasn’t that far from his next class, although the teacher could be a bit of a bastard about being late. “I better run. And it’s Bucky.”

“What?” This time it was Steve’s turn to look like he was at a loss. Good. Bucky counted that as a win for him.

“My friends call me Bucky.” He turned away, smiling to himself.

“Is that what we are, Bucky?” Steve asked, looking unsure but trying to hide it.

Bucky turned back and flashed him an easy grin. “Guess that depends on you. See you tomorrow.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Word has it you’re getting pretty close with Steve Rogers,” Rebecca said, sitting on Bucky’s bed.

“Ugh.” Bucky didn’t bother looking at his sister. Instead he buried his face in his pillow and mumbled about how he was an idiot. He was ending his second week here now, and Steve was still tormenting him in class, trying to get him caught again. It had become a bit of a game with them and while neither of them actually hung out outside of class, those fifty minutes of English were both fun and frustrating. Steve had apparently taken Bucky’s challenge to heart and was doing everything he could to push him.

“Say that again, Buck,” Rebecca prodded.

Bucky rolled onto his bank. “I’m an idiot. There, you happy? Why is it I attract trouble?”

“Because you’re an idiot,” Rebecca grinned. Bucky thought about hitting her with a pillow.

“I am _trying_ to be good and he’s making it damn difficult with his gorgeous tattoos and blue eyes and… just… ugh.”

Rebecca laughed. She was a year older than him, already graduated and going through a local nursing program while volunteering at an animal clinic. Their parents couldn’t have had two more different children. Rebecca was the angel of the family. Of course, if Bucky hadn’t been made privy to some of her other secrets, like her night job (the only reason she could afford an apartment in Brooklyn by herself), he might have believed it. 

But he kept her secret and in return, she had offered him a place in her apartment in Brooklyn after he’d been expelled. It gave him an option other than boot camp. “So why not just ask him out?”

“Okay, clearly you weren’t listening. Did I mention the part where he’s trouble? And how the hell do you even know Steve?”

“You were moaning his name in your sleep last night.”

“I was not!” Now Bucky did grab a pillow and smack her with it. Rebecca laughed and grabbed it, then pinned him down. 

“You are redder than a tomato right now. Okay, you weren’t, but you must have a pretty bad crush. And Steve is not as much of a troublemaker as everyone thinks. Okay, so if you won’t ask him out, then at least ask him to fix that monstrosity you called a tattoo before you had the terrible sense to ask Brock burn it off.”

“Dad was pretty pissed about that,” Bucky said thoughtfully. “And I didn’t ask him to. He just did it. You know that.”

Rebecca sighed and let him up. “I know. He was a bastard. Okay, that’s it. You need to get your mind off of things. You’re going to help me at work today.”

“And which job would that be? I think it’d be a little awkward helping my sister strip.”

It was Rebecca’s turn to smack Bucky with the pillow. “As if I’d want your help there. You wouldn’t know the first thing about how to help a woman strip.”

“Oh, I see how it is,” Bucky laughed, pushing Rebecca away. “All right, then. Animal clinic I can do.”

Bucky didn’t know what to expect when he stepped in, but seeing Steve Rogers holding an older dog due to be put down was not it. He stopped dead in his tracks, then shot a glare at Rebecca. Rebecca just gave him an innocent smile that said she’d known exactly what she’d done and didn’t feel guilty in the least.

“I didn’t know you volunteered here,” Bucky told Steve, stepping in cautiously. Steve looked, well, adorable, and Bucky was pretty sure he shouldn’t be thinking of Steve as adorable. 

“Every other Saturday. I also volunteer at the children’s hospital,” Steve said, not looking up. “What about you?”

“My sister volunteers here. She made me come and I couldn’t really say no since I’m essentially free loading on her.”

That made Steve look up in surprise. “No parents?”

“Ah, yeah. We have parents, just not here. They live in Philly.”

“Oh.” Steve looked like he wanted to pry, but didn’t. He seemed different here than at school, Bucky noticed.

“There is literally no way for me to say this without it coming out as mean,” Bucky said. “But you don’t seem like the sort of guy to volunteer with animals and children.”

Steve laughed, and the dog perked his ears up. “Don’t worry, I’ve heard worse. Most people don’t bother to get to know me. They just assume. My mom was a nurse and she taught me to take care of those who can’t take care of themselves.”

Bucky didn’t miss the past tense. “So you’re an orphan?”

“Yeah. I live with my aunt and cousin now. And for the record, I know what they say at school, but I don’t fight _that_ often.”

“Just on days that end in ‘y’,” Bucky teased. 

Steve laughed. “Point. For that, you get to take care of the puppies.”

“Oh no,” Bucky said in mock distress. “Anything but the puppies.” Laughing, he knelt down by one of the kennels and pulled out a puppy. “Rebecca explained a bit. So they just need to be walked a little and their cages cleaned, right?”

“And make sure their water is clean and full.”

“Right. I can walk a bunch at once, right?”

“Good god, Bucky. Have you ever dealt with animals before? Don’t ever take care of more than one at a time. Unless the dog is especially friendly, you don’t know what their temperaments are like. They could hate other dogs.”

“Excuse me. I never had a pet growing up. This stuff isn’t exactly intuitive.”

Steve moved to stand. “All right, let me get this softie back into his kennel and then I’ll help you. Since your sister left you to my mercies, I get to tell you what to do and you get to not argue or I’ll lock you into one of the kennels.” The threat was diminished somewhat by the grin on Steve’s face. “Maybe you can tell me why you were kicked out of your last school.”

Bucky stiffened slightly. “How do you know I was kicked out?”

“Your sister mentioned it. She wouldn’t give details, but I gotta admit. A goody goody like you getting kicked out? That’s got to be a good story.”

Okay, that was two people on Bucky’s hit list now. He just didn’t know if he should kill Steve or Rebecca first. “Not that good of a story,” he said out loud. “I just got involved with the wrong sort of people and it got out of hand.”

“Out of hand could mean a lot.” Steve got a leash for the puppy and showed Bucky where the back yard was.

“It just means it got out of hand. You know, I like you better when you don’t ask questions,” Bucky said irritably.

“I’m not here to be liked. Except by the dogs. Okay, fine. Different question. You said your friends call you Bucky. But I’m the only one who calls you that. Why? You’ve got other friends at school. I’m not sure we even are friends.”

“They’re not.”

Steve blinked at Bucky and stopped to let the puppy sniff at a patch of grass. “What?”

“The other guys. They’re not friends. I just sort of shared a table the first day, they gave me some pointers. We talk. That’s not friendship. That’s just talking.”

“But you and I aren’t either.”

Bucky somehow managed not to blush. How could he tell Steve that the only reason he’d told him his nickname was because of the huge crush he had on him. He shrugged instead. “After teasing each other mercilessly in class? I’d say that qualifies as a start. Reminds me a bit of home, actually.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. Bucky decided to switch topics before he could pry anymore. “So where did you get your tattoos?”

Steve glanced at his arms and smiled. “My cousin helped me do them. She runs a tattoo parlour. But I designed them myself.”

“Really? That’s great. I’m saving up for a new tattoo myself. Legally, I can get it. I’m eighteen and all. But I’m limited in my monthly allowance and I can’t expect Rebecca to buy all of my necessities.”

Steve’s eyes lit up. “A new tattoo? Do you already have one?” He moved to grab Bucky’s shirt, looking for the tattoo.

“Hey!” Bucky said, trying to maneuver away. “I only strip in private.” The words were out before he realised the innuendo behind them.

Steve didn’t miss it at all and he gave Bucky a chesire grin that made Bucky warm all over, and not just from embarrassment. “All right, that’s settled then. After we finish up, you’re taking me home.”

Bucky swallowed because his mind immediately went to all the things they could get up to in an empty house. Rebecca was heading to her night job after this and it was a Saturday… _Stop it,_ Bucky scolded himself. _He’s trying to rile you up. It doesn’t mean anything. And after Brock, why the hell would you want to get involved with someone else like him._

Except that the answer was that Steve and Brock were nothing alike. Steve was tough, but there was good humour and, looking at Steve with the dogs, there was gentleness too. Brock was just… tough.

“Fine. But no questions.”

“That’s not a promise I can make. I’m just too damn curious.”

Bucky chewed his lip. “Okay, fine. Then you have to answer me a question. Why do you get into so many fights?”

Steve looked at him, then at the dog. “Because I’m small, people thought they could push me around. One day I got tired of it and I pushed back. I used to fight a _lot_ in middle school. Got a reputation. These days, I only fight if I need to. Like if someone is harassing someone else. I don’t always win, but I at least give a good show for it. Now I have a reputation and people just generally avoid me.”

Damn, Steve was a better man than Bucky. 

“Your turn. Why’d you get kicked out?”

“Ask me again at home. After you’ve made me strip for you,” Bucky said, with a smile. His stomach was in knots though. Knowing Steve’s reason made Bucky feel awful about his own.

“I look forward to it.”


	3. Chapter 3

Bucky let Steve into the apartment and locked the door behind them. “I know it’s small, but make yourself at home. Just don’t go into the bedroom. That’s Rebecca’s room.”

“Where do you sleep?” Steve asked, looking at the place.

“I have a pull out bed. I sleep in the living room.” Bucky went to the fridge and pulled out a soda. “Coke?”

“Thanks. That’s not very private.”

“Well, Rebecca is gone a lot, and I’ll probably move back home after graduation. Just needed to finish out senior year somewhere not in Philly.”

“That bad?”

Bucky hesitated, and opened his own soda, sipping it. “You wanted to see my horrible tattoo,” he said instead. “Here.” He opened the curtain, then pulled off his shirt and turned his back to Steve. He knew Steve would see the scar tissue near his left shoulder. The tattoo wasn’t completely destroyed, but it definitely looked like a mess.

“What the fuck, Bucky?” Steve pressed his fingers to the scar. “What happened? That’s a burn scar.”

“Yeah. The guy that did the tattoo fucked it up and my ex-boyfriend didn’t like it.” Bucky glanced over his shoulder to judge Steve’s reaction to the boyfriend. He was surprised to see an anger in Steve’s eyes that had nothing to do with Bucky’s orientation.

“Why the hell would you let him burn you?”

Bucky had been trying to answer that question for a long time. “Because I was young and stupid and thought I was in love and he told me to.”

“He told you…”

“You wanted to know why I got kicked out. It was because of him and because I was an idiot who believed everything he told right up until he decided he was done with me and filed a harrassment complaint with the homophobic school board. I’m older so naturally everyone blames me and bam, kicked out of school. I mean, there was more to it than just that. I became the scapegoat for, well, everything.”

“God, Bucky. I’m sorry.” Steve stepped back.

Bucky shrugged. “Don’t be. I’m the one who got mixed up with him knowing full well what he was capable of. He was already a bully and the leader of a gang. It was my own fault. But that’s why I am trying to stay out of trouble here. I’ll be damned if I didn’t just find trouble anyway.”

“Is that what you think I am? Trouble?” Steve didn’t _look_ angry, but Bucky was shit at reading emotions unless they were very clear.

“I did at first. Not so much now. I thought you two were alike, but now that I’ve gotten to know you, you and Brock are polar opposites. You’re not trouble. Well,” Bucky laughed. “You are. But not _that_ kind of trouble.”

Steve reached back over and poked at the tattoo. “Natasha can fix that for free.”

“What?” Bucky wasn’t sure if he’d heard right. “Fix what?”

“Your tattoo. She’d consider it professional integrity, even if the tattoo isn’t her own. She’d probably go punch the guy that did it too, if she ever found him.”

Bucky laughed. “That’s it? You hear my terrible confession and you’re offering me free tattoo services?”

Steve grinned, then ran his hands gently down Bucky’s back to his hips. Bucky shivered, but didn’t move. “You have a nice back,” Steve said. “And if I’m going to be staring at it for any length of time, I want there to be a nice tattoo to look at.”

Bucky swallowed, then turned. “And just what makes you think I want you looking at my back, punk? You think you’re something special?” He asked with a smile. Well, Steve hadn’t gone running, so why not push a bit? If Steve was going to make these comments, Bucky wanted to know if he meant them.

Steve grabbed Bucky by his hips. “Well, you’re the one who invited me to your apartment, locked me in, then started stripping,” he grinned. 

Shit. Steve was right. He had done all that and if he didn’t want Steve to do something, _anything_ , to him, that might even have been a problem. At this point, he was more worried Steve would leave. And how the hell was someone Steve’s size so commanding? It was fucking hot. 

“Tell me right now,” Steve said. “I want to know if you really want this and how far you want to go.”

“God, Steve. I don’t know about going all the way, but god… Just kiss me. Touch me. I don’t even care.”

Steve smiled, then pushed Bucky over to the couch. Bucky collapsed to a seat and Steve climbed on top, straddling Bucky’s lap, then finally kissed him. Oh, the taste of it. Steve tasted like strawberries. Bucky grabbed his waist as Steve ground against him. It felt damned good and Bucky was pretty sure right then that if Steve asked him, he would have let him go all the way. Steve pulled back from the kiss, nibbling a bit on Bucky’s lip, then lowered his lips to Bucky’s neck. That was going to leave a mark.

Steve eventually pulled off and smiled at Bucky. “How long have you been wanting that?”

“God, forever. Since that first day in English class.” Bucky felt half out of breath just from that kiss. Not that he had a lot of experience kissing anyone else other than Brock, but it was definitely better than Brock.

Steve grinned. “Same. I thought you were just a nerd who’d never had a real kiss and I thought about teaching you. You showed me though. That was an amazing kiss.”

“I was going to say the same thing about you.”

Steve climbed off of Bucky’s lap and Bucky groaned as he did so. Steve chuckled. “Need some help with that before we go?”

“Er, what? Help? Go?” Bucky wasn’t thinking straight and he stared at him uncomprehending, which just made Steve laugh more. 

“Look, I respect you don’t want to go all the way. I mean, jeez. After what you told me, I don’t blame you. But giving you a hand job is no biggie and I bet I can get you off quickly.”

Bucky opened his mouth, then closed it. “I… hand job?”

Steve knelt between Bucky’s legs and grinned at him. “Yes. Hand. Job. Just nod or shake your head, if that’s easier.”

Bucky swallowed, then nodded. “Yes, please god yes.”

With permission given, it didn’t take long for Steve to free Bucky. He grabbed his backpack and dug around, then pulled out a small bottle. Bucky blinked. “Do you actually carry around lube all the time or was today just a special occasion?”

“No,” Steve laughed. “I just happened to have stopped by the store today. Which means you’re in luck. Now shut up and let me work.”

Bucky laughed himself, but he wasn’t laughing for long. Steve was as good with his hands as Bucky had imagined. When Steve had played with Bucky’s hair in class, Bucky had imagined those fingers doing other amazing things to him and he wasn’t disappointed now. The strokes started gentle and slow, the tip of his thumb caressing the head like a lover’s kiss.

Gentle strokes gradually turned less so, becoming more firm and quicker. Bucky had his eyes closed, his head resting on the back of the couch. He bit his lip to both keep from speaking and to make sure the neighbors didn’t hear his moans. He gripped a pillow in each hand and tried to move his hips in time to Steve’s strokes. He had an urge to just wrap his legs around Steve.

The mental image of Steve inside him like this came unbidden to Bucky’s mind, and he came in the next instant. “Fuck,” he gasped, unable to stay quiet anymore.

Steve grinned and grabbed some tissue for Bucky. “Here. Clean yourself up. If I touch you again, I may not be able to let go.”

“Is that a problem?” Bucky asked a bit stupidly. 

Steve laughed. “I want to take you to see Nat. And I promise you that’s safer than me staying here any longer. I’m pretty good at self-control, but you’re making it very difficult.”

“Mmm, why did I want to wait again?” Bucky grinned at him, then sat up. 

“Because we just met two weeks ago and you need to take it slowly,” Steve teased. “And just because we’re waiting doesn’t mean we can’t have fun other ways.”

“Right.” Bucky cleaned himself up, then pulled his shirt back on and zipped himself up. “Wait, what about you? You didn’t… I mean, you…”

Steve shook his head. “You can repay me later,” he joked. “But Nat won’t be there all night and I want her opinion on what to do for you.”

“Ah. Well, let’s get going.”

 

Natasha led the pair into the back as soon as they arrived. Bucky was surprised at how gorgeous she was. He didn’t go for women, but that didn’t make him blind. Then again, a glance at Steve told Bucky that gorgeousness was probably a family trait. 

“Shirt off,” she ordered, and Bucky obeyed quickly. He got the impression she wouldn’t take kindly to having to ask twice. “Fuck, what moron did that?” She asked as she looked at the old tattoo. 

“Someone who wasn’t you,” Bucky said. It was a bit cheeky, but he didn’t feel like spilling all the sordid details that he’d already told Steve.

She smiled. “Damn straight. I don’t screw around with people’s bodies like this. What was that even supposed to be?”

“An octopus, I think,” Bucky said. “It was… my old gang’s symbol. Called themselves Hydra.” Bucky scoffed. “Didn’t even know what a hydra was.”

“I don’t know what _that_ montrosity is, but it’s not an octopus,” Natasha said. “I can’t even stand looking at this. This is awful. Seriously. Steve, he is never allowed to let anyone else near him with ink and needle. Your friend clearly doesn’t have the sense to tell a good artist from a bad one.”

Bucky blushed a bit, but Steve came to his defense. “Wasn’t his choice, Natasha. So what do you think? We don’t want the same tattoo, so something that can hide it well enough, but still looks good.” 

Natasha looked at it for a long time, then went to a drawer and brought out a folder. “Here, look through these. Any of them should do. We’ll fix it tonight. I'll be back after you've decided.” She turned and stormed out.

“She’s… passionate,” Bucky said, watching her go. 

Steve smiled at him. “I told you. She takes this seriously. Come on, find one you like.” He flipped open the folder. “Some of these are standard tattoos, a couple Natasha designed and these ones,” Steve continued, opened to a specific section. “These ones I designed.”

Bucky looked through them. He’d known Steve was a good artist just from the couple times he caught him drawing in English class, and Steve had said he’d designed his own tattoos, but Bucky hadn’t realised just how good he really was. “Damn, Steve. Why aren’t you working here?”

“I will be. Natasha has been teaching me. But drawing on paper is different from drawing with a needle on skin. After I graduate, though, she’s going to hire me officially. Part time while I go through art school.”

“That’s amazing. I don’t even know what I want to do. Dad thinks I should enlist.” Bucky flipped through the pages. “What about this one?” He asked, pointing to a shooting star design..

Steve looked at it for a moment. “With some tweaking,” he said absently, pulling out his sketchbook. Bucky watched him take the star design and alter it. The tail was changed to a wing and behind it, Steve sketched out a circular shield design. He added a few more tiny flourishes to it to stylize it, then held it out to Bucky. “How’s that?”

Bucky grinned. “I like it. Thanks, Steve.”

“No problem.” Steve tore the page out. “Wait here. I’ll go get Natasha.”

~~~  
Bucky had expected a lot more pain, so he was surprised by how little there was. Not that there wasn’t any pain, but it wasn’t as bad as the first time. It was late by the time Natasha finished. She'd been cheerful and teasing during the process, bantering with both Steve and Bucky, but now that it was done, she got serious again. “I don’t expect you know proper care," she said sharply. "So I’m going to give you a pamphlet and some basic tips. Steve can help you if you have any questions.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Bucky said, looking at the tattoo in the mirror Steve had led him to. “My god, it’s wonderful. You’re an angel with a needle.”

“It’s Nat, and if you don’t take care of it properly, you’ll see my devil side.”

“She’s not kidding, Bucky,” Steve said, trying to keep a straight face. “In fact, we better get out of here. She tends to turn into a monster when she works too long anyway.”

Natasha turned on them with a fierce glare and made to attack them. Bucky grabbed his bag and ran after Steve, who was already through the door, laughing. They were halfway down the block before they both had to stop to catch their breath. “God, she’s scary when she wants to be,” Bucky gasped between breaths. 

“You have no idea,” Steve laughed. He leaned against the side of a building. “You didn’t even grab your shirt. She’s got a hostage now.”

“Fuck. I’m not going back for it. She can have it. I’m sure it’ll make a nice rag.” Bucky grinned at Steve. “You are amazing.”

Steve reached over and grabbed Bucky’s arm, pulling him close, but mindful of the tender area. “I know.” He wrapped his arms around Bucky’s waist and kissed him. Bucky grinned into the kiss, knowing that he had finally made a good choice with Steve.


End file.
